Because different states have different regulations regarding the handling or disposal of materials containing toxic ingredients, check on your state or city s recycling regulations first. Place a CFL bulb in two plastic bulbs. Most US states require that you place a CFL bulb in two plastic bags, so that it s mercury content won t seep out if the bulb gets broken. However, these pay homeowners or consumers a price that s based on the market value of their items. Recycling offers a wide array of economic and environmental benefits. Recycling can help save millions of dollars from city or municipal budgets, because there s less demand for landfills or new garbage collection trucks. Hazardous or toxic wastes on the other hand, are waste materials that may cause death, serious injury and other serious health risks to man and other living creatures. In the US, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and other state departments manage and oversee the laws which regulate the disposal of hazardous wastes. If your town or city has a collection facility or pick-up point, bring your plastic bottles there, and trade them for cash. Ice cream and yoghurt plastic containers can be reused to store candies, biscuits and other items, and may also be used for storing your kids crayons, pens and small toys. How To Recycle Old Electronic Items Ensure that all the batteries you use for your flashlights, cell phones and toys are sent to recycling centers, because throwing these in the garbage bin may harm the environment. In medieval England, people collected ash and dust from wood and coal fires, and these were used as base material for brick-making. During these times, recycling was motivated by the economic advantage of getting recycled feedstock, instead of simply buying new raw materials. The absence of a public waste removal and disposal system also made recycling a necessary task during these times. Paper Recycling Helps Save The Forests As the demand for paper and wood increases, more and more timber is required to meet the ever-growing demand for wood pulp. In most cases, this means the irreparable loss of wildlife habitats and ecosystems, because old-growth forests are often replaced by forest plantations.